the Form of that Imputation but of Justification passively taken I add at last upon the Account of Christ's Merits or through Christ or for Christ's sake because this Faith of ours or Evangelick Righteousness hath so many Defects in the best of Christians that if through the Sacrifice of Christ they were not pardoned and through his Merits that imperfect Duty which is done accepted it could not be imputed to us for Righteousness And I do more especially signifie thereby that Christ's Righteousness which cannot be imputed to us as the Formal Cause of our Justification is and must be very carefully brought to our Account and granted to be imputed as the Meritorious Cause of that Acceptation And in making it the Meritorious I have learn'd of Mr. Baxter to allow it to be the Material also which he says is nothing else but to be the Matter of that Merit because I make our Faith the Formal in our Justification After this I distinguish between this pardoning and bearing with the Defects of our Faith Repentance New Obedience which are the Conditions of the Gospel Covenant and so our Gospel Righteousness or that which is imputed for Righteousness and that General or Total Pardon which the Covenant promises and becomes Absolute upon performing the Condition The one of these is that very Grace or Act of Grace itself as goes into that Act of Imputation or Act that imputes our Faith for Righteousness when the other I say still is the Effect or Benefit following Justification Justification being thus defined by God's imputing a Man's Faith to him for Righteousness it may be understood what Mr. Baxter still tell us that Justification is the making us righteous as well as the accounting us righteous and dealing with us as righteous I have been shy hitherto of admitting the first of these because of the Papists but I will now distinguish There is a making a Man just or righteous by Infusion or by Imputation Gods making a Man just by Infusion is Regeneration which the Papists hold and we distinguish from Justification I suppose Mr. Baxter once intended no other Those that will have Justification nothing but Forgiveness do readily grant this that Justification makes one just for when Sin is forgiven so that there is not the Guilt of any Omission or Commission imputed to a Person he is made Righteous by Non-imputation But I am for neither of these Justification is not making a Man righteous by Infusion nor by Non imputation but by Imputation God imputing our Faith to us for Righteousness Per formalem Justificationis causam justi constituimur Our Faith and Evangelick Obedience is imperfect and sinful and we are unrighteous in the Eye of the Law for all that but God in his judging us according to the Law of Grace does allow of that for Christ's sake instead of all which the Law requires to our Justification By this may that Expression of the Apostle that God justifies the Ungodly be rightly understood Not in the Sence or either of the former that take it only in Sensu diviso so that he who before his Justification was ungodly is no longer so after but In sensu composito Our Faith I say or Evangelical Obedience in regard to the Law or in regard to those Works that are required by the Law to our Justification are no Righteousness no Righteousness which in its own Nature would justifie us but God constitutes it such by the Law of the Gospel and according to that Law imputes it to us for Righteousness A Man believes Let us suppose that Sound Faith The Spirit must have been given to work it in him Where the Spirit is given to work inherent Grace in a Person he is Regenerate But this Regeneration is not Justification For suppose a Regenerate Man should live all his Life as righteously as he is able yet if God should deal with him according to the Law of Works he is still ungodly in that regard and he could not be justified and God's dealing with him otherwise according to his Law of Grace and accounting or adjudging him righteous by that Law notwithstanding all his Failings for Christ's sake is this imputing Faith to him for Righteousness which is the Formal Reason of Justification I must take leave to rake this again a little over for I see some need and I must confess Mr. Baxter hath perplexed me often as to this particular In some of his Books he speaks of Justification making us just by Pardon which freeing us from the Guilt of all Sin Omission and Commission does make us he accounts righteous as we can be made In others he seems to understand with Augustine that Justification makes us just by Grace inherent A Man must believe and repent before he is justified He cannot do that without God's Grace God does therefore first make him righteous by this inherent Grace before he accounts him just or deals with him as such Mr. Baxter was induced to this I think by the Judicious Le Blanc who apprehends that there are three or four places for which he quotes some of our chief Protestants that make Justification the same with Sanctification Unto which Texts I should choose rather to give Answer according to others than to consent to this because it comes so near the Papists as to leave us almost no difference from them I will therefore advance here a Distinction to the same purpose as but now which among the many Mr. Baxter hath he yet has not and it is this There is a threefold making a Man just By Conversion or Regeneration and this is Austine's and the Papists Justification By Pardon and this is Mr. Wotton's Justification Or by the Righteousness of God which I made the Subject of these Sheets as something between Protestant and Papist and this is God's imputing our Faith for Righteousness which is my Justification and I will call it mine because I take it to be the Scriptures where it is expresly delivered as cannot be gainsaid The Papists Opinion to make things clear is that the Grace of God infused is the Formal Righteousness that justifies us or makes us just in God's sight according to the Law of Works Justitia Habitualis à Deo infusa satis est ut homo illa indutus possit in Divino judicio sisti vere justus haberi In this Sence the Protestants lay down this contrary Position that a Sinner is justified not by any Formal Righteousness in himself but by the Mercy of God through the Satisfaction of Christ. The Protestants I own here against the Papist according to the Papists Sence Our Faith or Evangelick Righteousness or inherent Grace I must say this over is imperfect and cannot be our Formal Righteousness according to the Law it is no Conformity to the Law of Works and they of Trent thought of no other but our imperfect Faith Repentance New Obedience is a Conformity to that which God hath made the Condition
Jew in the Second yet hath he such a Faith as belongs to the first such as the Ancients before Abraham had and so long as that Faith he hath does work by Love or by sincere Obedience to God according to his Light it will justifie him as well as that which is now farther required of us under the Gospel So my Book call'd The Axe laid to the Root of Separation p. 4. From Faith or Trust in God ' Goodness Grace or Mercy which any in every Nation that feared God and wrought Righteousness had thus to be accepted and pardoned before they knew this Ground or Foundation upon which the Righteousness thereof does stand to that Faith we have now who do know it From that Faith they had in God to save them of his Free Grace before the knowledge or our clearer knowledge of Christ and our Redemption by him to that Faith we have now to save us by the same Free Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Ye believe in God says Christ believe also in me where is a Faith and a Faith Consequently from Faith that is a believing in God to a Faith which is a believing in him through Christ the Foundation of our Faith upon the Revelation of the Gospel Even the Righteousness of God which is by Faith of Jesus Christ to wit since he is revealed Upon these words Mr. Rutherford supposing the Righteousness of Christ to be the formal Righteousness that justifies us thus opposes If our Righteousness and inherent Obedience may be of Grace esteemed formal Righteousness before God by a free Evangelick Paction and an Act of God's Free Will there is no need of Christ's Satisfaction Cou. Op. p. 172 173. I answer This Learned Man hath I account here understandingly exprest the very thing as it is and that he gives for the Reason of his denial is the very Ground upon which this Righteousness as I have explained it is made good If it were not for this Satisfaction of Christ there could be no such Righteousness on God's part or on Ours God should deal with us in his strict Justice and no Man be found righteous accounted or dealt with as so in the Earth But seeing upon this Satisfaction of Christ God may be righteous and abate the Terms as they were in one Covenant and impute them however for Righteousness by another we see how our Evangelick Obedience is indeed the Formal when Christ's Righteousness is the Meritorious Cause of our Justification Our Justification I must say passively taken that is the Formal Cause or Formal Reason or Form itself of that Righteousness whereby we are justified That which we do our selves through Grace or the Spirit acting us is this our Formal Righteousness and that is the Condition of our Justification actively taken and so of the Impunity and Life that follow as the Fruits of it That we may not stray here but keep our Middle-Way between the Extreams of Papist and Protestant we must distinguish Remission and Justification The Papists say Justification is Remission and Regeneration the Protestants say it is Remission and the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness When both then make Remission to be but part of Justification and Totum and Pars may be distinguished these may But I go farther That which goes before and that which comes after Justification must be distinguished from it but such is Remission Remission therefore is Two-fold Universal and Conditional the one Particular and Absolute the other Universal Conditional Remission goes before Justification Particular Absolute follows as its Effect and so Neither must be made the Formal Reason of it He hath given us the World of Reconciliation to wit that God was in Christ reconciling the World to himself not imputing their Trespasses And we are his Embassadors beseeching you in Christ's stead to be reconciled unto God 2 Cor 5.18 19 20. Here we see a Reconciliation of God to us obtained for the World so that a Non-imputation of Trespasses belongs to all which yet precedes our being Reconciled to him and consequently our actual Believing and Justification The Reconciliation of the World to God by the Non-imputation of Sin in this Text is indeed no other but what the Apostle otherwhere calls Redemption In whom we have Redemption through his Blood even the Forgiveness of Sins Eph. 1.7 Col. 1.14 Now that Redemption does precede Justification both in the Nature of the Thing and Intent of the Apostle is manifest Rom. 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Redemption is the Ground we see of our Justification and the Ground is necessarily first to be supposed before that which is built upon it And what is Redemption Redemption is Christ's procuring or purchase of Man's delivery from Wrath due to us according to the Law for Sin or of our discharge from the Penalty called sometimes Freedom from the Law sometimes Forgiveness of Sins by the Price of his Blood or Satisfaction in our behalf but to be given out to us no otherwise than as God and Christ please and that is upon the Terms of the Gospel Of this Remission which preceding Justification must be Universal for where it is Particular the Man is justified and Conditional for if it were Absolute all must be saved no Man must conceive me to imagine our Righteousness the Formal Cause or any Cause nay or Condition Nevertheless this General Remission being given out I say to particular Persons by a new Law or Covenant which requires of us to the participating thereof that we believe repent and walk sincerely before God this Evangelical Righteousness upon that Account is the Thing that Formally justifies us Upon our Faith God does account us Believers or Performers of this Law or Covenant that is righteous by the Righteousness of Faith the Forma per quam we are made so and then this Remission before Conditional becomes Absolute or Actual Remission so commonly called as the Effect together with a Right to Heaven of this Justification Now when the Protestants ordinarily that distinguish not Remission from Justification are vehement here in reference to Grace and Works and say that no Man does or can do any thing in order to the Remission of his Sin That there is nothing and can be nothing in the whole World interposed between our Sins and God's Wrath to stave that off us but Christ's Satisfaction which was made by him and accepted of God for us while we are Sinners Enemies and have no other Qualification so that therefore our Righteousness is so far from being any Cause Efficient Material or Formal that it is not so much as a Condition of it I say it is all true it is all granted The Absolute Free Grace of God and our Redeemer is to be received with the utmost Humility of our Hearts and Thankfulness Only one thing is necessary which is that it be understood aright It must be understood of
should be accounted righteous in another's Righteousness and to be that thing Per quod we are justified There is no such Matter in reality but in notion only When one Man is justified and not another something there must be in the one that is not in the other This Righteousness now whatsoever it be as imperfect as it is confessedly yet wrought by the Spirit of God is that and must be that which is the Form per quam he is accepted or justified when the Satisfaction and the Righteousness of Christ we all at least Protestants do grant to be the Ground or Reason of that Acceptation that is the Meritorious Cause propter quam we are pardoned and saved It is not therefore the Papists infused perfect Righteousness for there is no such nor the Protestants imputed Righteousness for that is not ours both of which answer the Law if we could plead them and would make the Reward of Debt But it is a Third Thing The Righteousness of God without the Law as the Apostle calls it a Righteousness now revealed in the Gospel in opposition to Works that is meritorious perfect Works which we have and must have and yet answer not the Law but makes our Justification therefore of Mercy or Grace which is the Righteousness as yet quite out of sight of the most we must advance Paulo Duce in the Doctrine of Justification In one Verse of David's Psalms we have him praying thus Hear my Prayer O Lord answer me in thy Righteousness Where we see a Righteousness of God according to which he is accepted And yet in the next Verse do these Words follow And enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no Man living be justified Where we see a Righteousness according to which no Man can be heard no Man can be accepted no Man can stand in his sight Psal 143.1 2. Thus much then is plain that here is a Righteousness and a Righteousness A Righteousness I may say of strict Justice or a Righteousness of gracious Acceptation A Righteousness which is Severe Justice or Paternal Justice The Righteousness of a condescending Father or of a rigid Judge David does as it were appeal from the one to the other Any one may express themselves in other Terms as please them best But such a Distinction then is to be made in reality according to the Scriptures I will therefore offer yet these other words There is a Righteousness as to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Righteousness to be most plain and full according to the Law or Covenant of Works whereby God might deal with us if he would and so no Man could Live Or a Righteousness according to the Covenant of Grace which is this Righteousness the Apostle means now revealed as that by which he does deal with us in the Gospel God is not unrighteous says one Apostle to forget your Labour of Love Heb. 11.10 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just says another to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from our Unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1.9 It is a righteous thing with God to render to you rest when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed 2 Thes 1.7 I have fought a good Fight and kept the Faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give me and all that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable to him for he will render to Man his Righteousness Job 33.26 Judge me Lord according to my Righteousness and according to my Integrity Psal 7.8 The Lord rewarded me according to my Righteousness for I have kept the ways of the Lord Psal 18.20 21. Remember me O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect Heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Isa 38.3 Remember me O God concerning this and wipe not out my good Deeds I have done for the House of my God and the Offices thereof Neh. 13.14 Remember me O God for good ch ult v. ult By these and the like places the Righteousness of God this Righteousness the Apostle speaks of may be taken Subjective or Terminative in regard to himself or in regard to us Or to wave School-Terms and speak surer on His part or on Our part On God's part this Righteousness is his Grace or Condescention towards us in pardoning the Failings and accepting the Endeavours of all penitent believing Men and Women so long as they be sincere notwithstanding those Failings unto Life according to the New Covenant And on Our part it is these Endeavours thus accepted or that which we do our believing or repenting how frail soever if sincere being the Condition required of us in that Covenant to our Justification and Salvation Now the Righteousness of God without the Law without the performance thereof is manifest says the Apostle It was always in the World but occult as Austine I have said in my first Sheets does speak 'till the Preaching of the Gospel How is that Why in regard to the Foundation I count on which it stands For other Foundation can no Man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 This Righteousness of God which is I say on God's part his Grace or Condescention toward us in passing by our Failings and accepting our sincere Endeavour unto Life notwithstanding all our Imperfections is procured for and vouchsafed to us upon the Account of Christ's Satisfaction and Righteousness the meritorious Cause of the Acceptance and Salvation of all that were saved under the Old Testament as well as of us now but that this Grace stood and was vouchsafed then upon this Account upon Christ's Account was dark to them and they saw it not as we now do and therefore is this Righteousness of God said to be revealed now tho' always afoot so as they had the benefit then or else none before now could have been saved I am not ashamed of the Gospel for therein the Apostle goes on is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith From Faith to Faith And what means that Why this is the meaning * There is one Religion Law or Rule for all Mankind to obtain Life by which being the Law of our Lapsed Nature or Remedying Law containing God's Grace administred to all the Earth in a Threefold State of such as were or are without the Law or before it and under the Law and under the Gospel As this Administration is Threefold so hath the Faith which is the Condition thereof been diversified But now is the Righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith The Righteousness of God is the Righteousness of this Law which hath ever been afoot in the World and tho' a Heathen hath not that Faith as is required of the Christian in the Third Edition of it or that which was required of the
which I must speak to not stopping at Human Argument unbacked with Authority of Scripture The one is Acts 13.38 Be it known unto you Men and Brethren that through this Man is preached to you Forgiveness of Sins And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses For this Text I have forelaid a Distinction with some Reference in my Mind to it There is a double Remission I have said a Remission that precedes Justification and a Remission that comes after it That which goes before Justification belongs to All but upon Condition and that is this Remission which in the former Verse of the two is Preached by the Apostle A Universal Conditional Remission and all one with Redemption This now being Preached to all some believe and perform the Condition and as it follows in the other Verse are accordingly justified and then this General Conditional Pardon before Preached becomes Absolute or Actual to such Particular Persons and they are thereby free from the Guilt and Punishment of all their Sins whatsoever even such as there was no Attonement allowed to be made by the Law of Moses The Law or Covenant of the Gospel promises Pardon and Life upon Condition He that performs the Condition hath Right to the one and the other but a Man must be Justified before he is Glorified and therefore before pardoned also There is a Pardon procured by Christ granted and passed by God we must suppose as an Act of Grace passing in Parliament This Pardon is given out orderly The Condition must be performed the Judge find it and then the Man hath the Benefit This aforesaid Distinction therefore is exemplified in this Text and seeing there is no Particular Actual Pardon 'till Man's Believing and God's Justification which is his accounting or declaring him a Believer do orderly intervene as to the Course of the Nature of the Thing it is plain that Remission this Remission as well as the other is not Justification itself but a Benefit of the Covenant that as Conditional goes before but as Actual or Absolute which is that a Particular Man enjoys does follow Justification I must say still as the Effect of it The other Text is in Rom. 4. where Paul shewing that it is not by Works but by Faith that we are justified after Abraham's Example he lays down this Position That not to him that worketh but believeth his Faith is accounted for Righteousness And then in the next Verse coming to bring Proof from David he ushers it in these Words Even as David also described the Blessedness of that Man unto whom God imputeth Righteousness without Works whereby it is plain indeed that he intends the same thing by God's counting to a Man his Faith for Righteousness and imputing to him Righteousness without Works that is such Works Meritorious Works Perfect Works which Paul in the Verses before undoubtedly intends But it is not so in the Quotation itself which thus follows Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and Sins covered Blessed is the Man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin It is a mistake here in those many who think this Non-imputation of Sin in this Verse is the same with the imputing Righteousness without Works and Faith for Righteousness in the former St. Paul does intend indeed those two before for one but this he intends only for a Probation He proves that God imputes Righteousness to a Man without Works or Faith for Righteousness by this Medium that they are blessed who are forgiven Now however these Words are construed this is no Definition of Justification by Faith without Works but I say a Probation The Man is blessed whose Sin is pardoned The Man therefore hath Sin to be forgiven He that hath Sin hath not Works such as Paul speaks of to justifie him If the blessed Man then be a justified Man it is evident thereupon that it is not by Works one is justified However from a Probation this Identity cannot be argued They are blessed in one Verse to whom Righteousness is imputed without Works They are blessed in another to whom God imputeth not Sin Ergo Non-imputation of Sin and imputing Righteousness without Works are the same I deny the Argument Blessed are they that hear the Word and keep it Blessed are they whose Sins are forgiven Ergo Hearing and obeying the Word is Forgiveness of Sin But leaving such Pushpin of Pro and Con I will take up with this That which is made a Medium or the Medius Terminus to prove another thing cannot be that thing or intended for the same thing that it proves And seeing the Quotation out of the Psalmist The Man is blessed whose Sins are forgiven is brought by the Disputant for a Probation of his Point in hand that a Man is justified by Faith and not by Works I am sufficiently perswaded that Non-imputation of Sin or Pardon is not intended by him to be the same thing with Justification If any require more Consideration in regard to these two Texts let him read a Book called The Christian Justification stated I need say no more but thus much which is not said there or throughly comprehended by that Author I know indeed and will not pass it that Mr. Truman a Man of a bright Judgment defines Justification as Mr. Wotton by Pardon only and says that Justification is no more or hath no more in it than Pardon and therefore is all one with it This in regard to the common Opinion which says it is more defining it by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness as well as Forgiveness of Sin is to the purpose But what if I say Pardon is more than Justification then is it nothing to me For whether Justification be more than Pardon or Pardon more than Justification if one be more than the other they are not the same Now Pardon is a Fruit or Benefit of Justification and a Thing alone is not so much as the Thing and its Benefit Pardon and Life makes up Salvation for Salvation from Wrath is Pardon and to Glory is Life but Salvation coming after is a farther Blessing and more indeed than Justification only Pardon Mr. Truman says farther of all Sins he means both of Omission and Commission puts a Man in that State as if he had offended the Law in nothing and that is all one with a State as if he had performed the Law in every thing and therefore Pardon and Justification are the same Our Divines he opposes deny these States to be one Though they be consequentially one they are in their Nature different Pardon is of the Guilty Justification of him that pleads Not Guilty But I will suppose Mr. Truman in the right and that Pardon puts a Man in a State as if he had trespassed in nothing which Quoad rearum poenae is true and consequently as if he had obeyed in all things And therefore do I deny Justification